Flush type latch operator



Feb. 27, 1940. E, B mugs 2,191,784

FLUSH TYPE LATCH OPERATOR Filed June 23, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Earl Klung Feb. 27, 1940.

E. B. YOUNG FLUSH TYPE LATCH OPERATOR Filed June 25. 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 O H M 0 1/ IIIIII! [mi I a ung Patented Feb. 27, 1940 UNl-TED STATES rATENT OFFICE:

2,191,784 FLUSH TYPE LATCH OPERATOR Earl B. Young, Pueblo, Colo.

Application June 23, 1938, Serial No. 215,471

' 4 Claims. (01. 292-467) in with the outer side of the door and adapted tobe pressed inwardly to retract the door latch. Still a further object of the invention is to provide ahandle mounted on the inner side of the door for opening the door'from within, and 15 for actuating means to engage the afore-mentioned flaps to hold them from being pressed inwardly to lock the door to prevent it from being openedirom the outside. I v A salient advantage of this invention resides 20 in the elimination ofthe. outwardly extending outside handles which may be accomplished through the use of" this operator; the simplicity of construction and operation thereof; and the simple yet efficient means whereby the door may be locked to prevent opening from the outside.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, which illustrate a preferred form of the invention, and

wherein' Figure 1 is aside elevational view, partly in section, of the mechanism comprising the invention, as seen from the inside of the door,

Figure 2' is a top plan View of the same,

35 -Figure3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the latch bolt in, section and the remaining parts 50 fastenings l3 to form the interior space or housing [4, The parts heretofore described are of conventional construction, being shown merely to illustrate the application of the invention to an automobile door, and it is to be understood 55' that the invention is likewise adapted for use with various otherv forms of swinging closures,

particularly aeroplane doors.

Secured to the inner side of the outer wall 1 i adjacent the free end of the door, is a housing I5 in which is slidably mounted a latch 5 bolt I6 having a hollow interior I] and a restricted opening l8 at its inner end. A rod i9 is. provided with an enlarged head 23 at one end, which is mounted in space I I] and held against the inner end thereof by 'an expansion 10 coil spring 2!, as best seen in Figure 3. v

Beneath the latch bolt [6, the outer wall I!) is provided with a pair of spaced openings in which are positioned the flaps 22 and 23, which are preferably formed by cutting out portions of the wall [0 so that the flaps 22 and 23 will correspond in appearance to the outer side of the door. The adjacent portions of the flaps 22 and 23 are secured on their inner sides to the rods 24 and 25 at 26, these rods being journaled in the'bearing members 21 secured to the inner side of the wall I0. The opposite ends of the rods 24 and are provided with the cranks 28and 29 which are disposed at oblique angles to flaps 22 and 23, respectively, and which 25 project in opposite directions relativelylto each other when the flaps are in a closed position as seen in Figures 1 and 4. Cranks 28 and 23 are provided with the inwardlyex'tending lugs to be engaged by one end of the coil springs 3| 30 which are mounted on the rods 24 and 25 to hold cranks 28 and 29 against the wall H) tothereby normally retain flaps 22 and 23 in the openings in the door, so that they will lie flush with the outer side of the door as best seen in Figure 5. Flaps 22 and 23'may be provided with the inwardly and outwardly extending offset lugs 32 to prevent them from moving beyond a flush position in the outer wall ll! of the'door. Rods 33 and 34 are pivotally connected at their corresponding ends by means of the bolts 35, to the cranks 28 and 29 respectively. As best" seen in Figures 1 and 4, the corresponding free ends of the rods 19, 33 and 34 are provided with the enlarged concave portion 36. Caps 31, which of its ends at 43, and is provided with the balls 44 and 45 which are spaced at equal distances from the pivot 413, and the ball 46 at the upper end of the lever 42. The ball 44 is adapted to be connected to the rod 33, ball 45 to rod 34, and the ball 36 to the rod l9. This connection is made by pulling outwardly on the caps 31 to retract the end 36 so that the balls may be inserted through theopenings 39, after which the caps 31 are released causing the springs M to draw the caps 3'! inwardly on the rods so that the balls are held between the ends 40 and the portion 36 to thereby form the universal ball and socket joint.

A handle 4'! is positioned on the inner side of the door, and is provided with a shank 48 disposed substantially at right angles thereto, which is journaled in a boss 49 in the inner wall H, and which is provided at its free end with a crank 50 connected by the pin 5! to a hook 52 which extends forwardly with its bill 53 turned downwardly to engage an upwardly extending lug 54 on the inner end of the latch bolt E6, to retract the latch bolt when the handle 47 is swung downwardly to swing the crank 50 upwardly and rearwardly. Hook 52 is held in engagement with the lug 54 by means of a bracket 55, secured to the inner side of the wall If! and engaging the top side of the shank to prevent it from lifting upwardly at its forward end when drawn rearwardly by the operation of the handle 41.

The yoke shaped member 55, having corresponding downwardly extending ends 5i and the enlarged upwardly extending intermediate por tion 58, provided with the slot 59,, is slidably mounted on the inner side of wall It by means of the brackets in which ends 51 are slidably mounted, and by means of the pin 6! which engages the slot '59. Springs 62, which are secured at their corresponding ends 63 to the wall it, and which are coiled intermediate of their ends, have their opposite free ends engaging the ends 51 of the yoke 56 to normally retain it in a raised position with the upper edge of the enlarged portion '58. in engagement with the shank of the hook 52. By swinging the handle 4! upwardly from its normal position, crank 50 and the shank of the hook 52 will be swung downwardly to force the yoke 56 downwardly against the action of the springs 62 to move the ends 51 of the yoke, into an overlapping engaging position relatively to the flaps 22 and 23, as seen in Figure 3, to prevent the flaps from being opened or pressed inwardly to retract latch bolt It.

From the-foregoing it will be seen, that flaps 22and 23 can be pressed inwardly from without to swing their cranks 28 and 29 respectively through an arc toward each other to cause the upper end of lever 42 to be moved away from the housing 5 to retract the latch bolt E6 to open the door. When the inward pressure on the flaps 22 and 23 is released, the springs 3| will force the cranks 28 and 29 away from each other to return the flaps to their normal position in the wall it thereby permitting the latch bolt it to be returned to its normal projected position. Latch bolt it may be retracted from the inside by a downward pressure on the handle 41, as heretofore described, and the spring 2! is provided so that when the latch bolt I5 is operated by the handle il it may move relatively to the rod 19 without actuating the flapsv 22 and 23 and when handle i? is returned to its normal position spring 2! bearing against the head 2t will return latch bolt l6 toits projected position. An

upward movement on the handle 41, from its normal position, as heretofore described, will project the yoke 55 downwardly causing its ends 51 to move into engagement with the inner sides of the flaps 22 and 23 thereby locking the door to prevent it from being opened from the outside.

Various modifications and changes in the particular construction of the parts and in their arrangement may obviously be made and are contemplated, and the right is reserved to make such variations and changes as do not depart from the spirit and scope of the inventionas hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: r

1. A device of the class describedcomprising a pair of spaced flaps adapted-to be mounted in spaced openings in the outer wall of a door to normally lie flush with the outer side there-.

of, rods journaled on the inner side of said wall and secured to the adjacent portions of said flaps to pivotally mount them, cranks formed on opposite ends of said rods and provided with springs to normally hold said flaps in a closed position flush with the outer side of said door, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends, links pivotally connecting said cranks to said lever on opposite sides of its pivot, and one end of said lever being adapted to be connected .to a sliding door latch bolt to retract thelatch bolt when said flaps are pressed inwardly,

2. A latch operator and locking device for. doors.

comprising operating members pivotally mounted on the inner side of the outer wall of a'door and disposed in openings therein, spring means to normally retain the operating members inthe openings, a lever pivotally connectedintere mediate of its ends, rods connected to said operating members and to said lever on opposite sides of its pivot point, alatch'bolt having a hollow shank provided with a restricted opening inone end, a rod having an enlarged end mounted in said shank, an expansion spring normally re-' I taining saidend inengagement with the re-I stricted end of said shank, said rod being connected at its opposite end to one end of said means to normally hold it in a retracted position,

said yoke being projected by engagement with said hook when the handle is swung upwardly, to move the free ends of the yoke into} over' lapping relationship to said operating members to retain them in a closed position. I 3. Ina latch operator for swinging closures,

flap members adapted to be pivotallymounted on the innerside of the outer wallof a closure," said wall having spaced openings, spring means normally retaining said flaps in said openings,

a lever pivotally mounted intermediate of its,

ends, links connecting said flaps 'to said lever on opposite sides of its pivot, and a rod connected to one end of said lever and to a sliding latch bolt for retracting the bolt by an movement of the flap members.

4. A latch for swinging closures comprising a latch bolthaving a hollow shank provided with inward a restricted openingin one end thereof, a rod having one end extending through said opening and provided with an enlarged head disposed in said hollow shank, expansion spring means mounted in said shank and normally holding said rod in an extended position, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends on the inner side of said closure and pivotally connected at one end to the opposite end of said rod, said closure being provided with an opening, an operating member, spring means normally retaining the operating member in said opening, link means connecting said operator to the opposite end of said lever, said operating member being movable inwardly to actuate said lever to retract the latch bolt; a handle disposed on the inner side of said closure and having a shank journaled therein and provided with a crank, a hook pivotally connected to said crank and having its 7 bill engaging said latch bolt for retracting it when said handle is swung downwardly, said latch being movable thereby relatively to said rod to contract said spring whereby the bolt is projected when the handle is released, locking means slidably mounted relatively to the closure and operated by the upward movement of said handle to lock the operating member in an inoperative position, and spring means normally urging said locking means out of engagement with the operating member.

EARL B. YOUNG. 

